scholarly journals Interest in COVID-19 vaccine trials participation among young adults in China: Willingness, reasons for hesitancy, and demographic and psychosocial determinants

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shufang Sun ◽  
Danhua Lin ◽  
Don Operario
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Informed Consent ◽  
University Students ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Scientific Practice ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Vaccine Trial ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Vaccine Trials

Background: With the demand for rapid COVID-19 vaccine development and evaluation, this paper aimed to describe the prevalence and correlates of willingness to participate in COVID-19 vaccine trials among university students in China. Methods: A cross-sectional survey with 1,912 Chinese university students was conducted during March and April 2020. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify variables associated with willingness to participate. Results: The majority of participants (64.01%) indicated willingness to participate in COVID-19 vaccine trials. Hesitancy over signing informed consent documents, concerns over time necessary for participating in a medical study, and perceived COVID-19 societal stigma were identified as deterrents, whereas lower socioeconomic status, female gender, perception of likely COVID-19 infection during the pandemic, and COVID-19 prosocial behaviors were facilitative factors. Further, public health mistrust and hesitancy over signing informed consent documents had a significant interactive effect on vaccine trial willingness. Conclusions: High standards of ethical and scientific practice are needed in COVID-19 vaccine research, including providing potential participants full and accurate information and ensuring participation free of coercion, socioeconomic inequality, and stigma. Attending to the needs of marginalized groups and addressing psychosocial factors including stigma and public health mistrust may also be important to COVID-19 vaccine development and future uptake.

scholarly journals Vaccine trials during a pandemic: potential approaches to ethical dilemmas

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manaf Alqahtani ◽  
Saad I. Mallah ◽  
Nigel Stevenson ◽  
Sally Doherty
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Clinical Medicine ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Clinical Success ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Stepped Wedge ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Vaccine Trials ◽  
Trial Testing

AbstractEver since the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), global public health infrastructures and systems, along with community-wide collaboration and service, have risen to an unprecedented challenge. Vaccine development was immediately propelled to the centre of all our scientific, public health and community efforts. Despite the development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines arguably being the greatest and most palpable achievements of the past 12 months, they have also been one of the most contentious and debated issues during the pandemic. However, what uniquely differentiates vaccine development is its intimate relationship with the community it seeks to serve; both in its clinical trial testing as an efficacious and safe prophylactic, and its post-developmental ‘roll-out’ success, as an effective public health tool. These relationships have birthed a myriad of complexities, from community-based mistrust, to academically contended ethical dilemmas. Indeed, the accelerated advances in the COVID-19 vaccine race have further exacerbated this phenomenon, bringing with it new ethical dilemmas that need to be examined to ensure the continued clinical success of these therapeutics and a renewed societal trust in clinical medicine.In this paper, we discuss two major ethical dilemmas: (1) the equipoise of continuing new vaccine trials in the advent of successful candidates and (2) the maleficence of blinded placebo arms. Accordingly, we discuss six different potential approaches to these ethical dilemmas: (1) continuing with placebo-controlled trials, (2) transitioning from placebo-controlled to open-label, (3) unblinding at-risk priority groups only, (4) transitioning to a blinded stepped-wedge cross-over design, (5) progressing to a blinded active-controlled stepped-wedge cross-over trial, and (6) conducting randomised stepped-wedge community trials. We also propose a decision-making algorithm for relevant stakeholders in advanced stages of vaccine trials.It is important to remember that the emergent nature of the COVID-19 situation does not justify a compromise on core ethical values. In fact, the discourse surrounding this topic and the decisions made will remain a potent case study and a continuously referenced example for all such future scenarios.

Knowledge of tuberculosis and vaccine trial preparedness in Lima, Peru

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 1288-1293 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Shu ◽  
M. E. Sobieszczyk ◽  
V. G. Sal y Rosas ◽  
P. Segura ◽  
J. T. Galea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Vaccine Trial ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Tb Control ◽  
Household Contacts ◽  
Efficacy Trials ◽  
Vaccine Trials ◽  
Efficacy Studies

SETTING: A safe, effective vaccine would improve tuberculosis (TB) control worldwide. Extensive community engagement will be essential to ensure the interest and participation of populations at highest risk.OBJECTIVE/METHOD: To inform the potential implementation of efficacy studies, we assessed TB knowledge, attitudes towards licensed vaccines and willingness to participate in future TB vaccine efficacy trials among 262 household contacts of 79 recently diagnosed pulmonary TB cases in Lima, Peru.RESULTS: Overall knowledge of TB was low. Only 41.6% of household contacts perceived themselves as being at high risk of acquiring TB. Slightly above half (54.2%) indicated willingness to participate in a TB vaccine trial. After clustered analysis adjusting for homogeneity among families, willingness to enroll was associated with belief that receiving all recommended vaccinations is important (adjusted OR [aOR] 3.28, P = 0.016), desire to know more about TB risk factors and clinical trials (aOR 2.60, P = 0.004), older age (aOR 1.02, P = 0.027) and TB knowledge (aOR 0.05, P = 0.039).CONCLUSION: Barriers to participation in TB vaccine trials exist among individuals at high risk for TB. Targeted education about TB risk factors, TB transmission and education about the clinical trial process will be critical for laying the groundwork for future vaccine trials.

scholarly journals Recruitment using respondent driven sampling, risk behaviors assessment and willingness of young female sex workers (18–25 years) in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania to participate in HIV vaccine trials

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodora Mbunda ◽  
Edith A. M. Tarimo ◽  
Muhammad Bakari ◽  
Eric Sandström ◽  
Asli Kulane
Keyword(s):  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Vaccine Trial ◽  
Young Female ◽  
Hiv Vaccine ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Hiv Vaccine Trials ◽  
Vaccine Trials

Abstract Background Despite the present HIV preventive and treatment programs, the prevalence of HIV is still high in eastern and southern Africa, among young women and populations at high. risk for HIV transmission such as sex workers. There is a need to prepare a suitable population that will participate in efficacy HIV vaccine trials to determine the efficacy of HIV vaccines that had proven to be safe and immune potent. Methods It was a cross-sectional study that recruited 600 female sex workers using respondent-driven sampling in Dar es Salaam. The study examined recruitment approaches, risk behaviors and willingness of young female sex workers to participate in an HIV vaccine trial. Descriptive statistics described risk behaviors and willingness of the participants to participate in efficacy HIV vaccine trials. The logistic regression model computed the likelihood of willingness to participate in the trials with selected variables. Results The study demonstrated 53% were less than 20 years old, 96% were single, and 22% lived in brothels. Eighty percent of the participants started selling sex at the age between 15 and 19 years old, 61% used illicit drugs for the first time when they were less than 20 years old, 24% had anal sex ever. Eighty-nine percent had more than 20-lifetime sexual partners, and 56% had unprotected sexual intercourse with sex clients. Ninety-one percent expressed a willingness to participate in the HIV vaccine trial. Sixty-one percent did not need permission from anyone for participating in a trial. Ninety-one percent expressed willingness to participate in the efficacy of HIV vaccine trial. In the logistic regression model, willingness was significantly associated with the need to ask permission for participation in HIV vaccine trial from sex agent. Conclusion Respondent-driven sampling provided a rapid means of reaching young female sex workers who reported high-risk behaviors. The majority expressed a high level of willingness to participate in the HIV vaccine trial which was marginally correlated to the need to seek consent for participation in the trial from the sex brokers. Future HIV vaccine trials involving this population should consider involving the brokers in the trials because they form an essential part of the community for the participants.

scholarly journals COVID-19 vaccine perceptions: An observational study on Reddit

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Navin Kumar ◽  
Isabel Corpus ◽  
Meher Hans ◽  
Nikhil Harle ◽  
Nan Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Vaccine Trial ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Online Forums ◽  
Yale University ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Vaccine Trials ◽  
Vaccine Information ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractObjectivesAs COVID-19 vaccinations accelerate in many countries, narratives skeptical of vaccination have also spread through social media. Open online forums like Reddit provide an opportunity to quantitatively examine COVID-19 vaccine perceptions over time. We examine COVID-19 misinformation on Reddit following vaccine scientific announcements.MethodsWe collected all posts on Reddit from January 1 2020 - December 14 2020 (n=266,840) that contained both COVID-19 and vaccine-related keywords. We used topic modeling to understand changes in word prevalence within topics after the release of vaccine trial data. Social network analysis was also conducted to determine the relationship between Reddit communities (subreddits) that shared COVID-19 vaccine posts, and the movement of posts between subreddits.ResultsThere was an association between a Pfizer press release reporting 90% efficacy and increased discussion on vaccine misinformation. We observed an association between Johnson and Johnson temporarily halting its vaccine trials and reduced misinformation. We found that information skeptical of vaccination was first posted in a subreddit (r/Coronavirus) which favored accurate information and then reposted in subreddits associated with antivaccine beliefs and conspiracy theories (e.g. conspiracy, LockdownSkepticism).ConclusionsOur findings can inform the development of interventions where individuals determine the accuracy of vaccine information, and communications campaigns to improve COVID-19 vaccine perceptions. Such efforts can increase individual- and population-level awareness of accurate and scientifically sound information regarding vaccines and thereby improve attitudes about vaccines. Further research is needed to understand how social media can contribute to COVID-19 vaccination services.FundingStudy was funded by the Yale Institute for Global Health and the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale University. The funding bodies had no role in the design, analysis or interpretation of the data in the study.

scholarly journals Post-HIV vaccine trials’ misperception and associated factors among participating communities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Edith Andrew Mroso Tarimo ◽  
Candida Moshiro ◽  
Joel Ambikile ◽  
Patricia Munseri ◽  
Muhammad Bakari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase I ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Vaccine Trial ◽  
Dar Es Salaam ◽  
Hiv Vaccine ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adjusted Risk ◽  
Hiv Vaccine Trials ◽  
Vaccine Trials

 Background: Despite the successful conduct of three Phase I/II HIV vaccine trials in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, misperception around the trials has been reported. In this study, misperception means incorrect understanding that in Phase I/II HIV vaccine trial, the researchers infected the volunteers with HIV. We describe the magnitude of misperception around HIV vaccine trials and associated factors among participating communities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study that included 605 respondents aged ³18 years from the communities that participated in Phase I/II HIV vaccine trials. These communities comprised of youths, Police and Prison officers. Respondents were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, HIV knowledge, and responses to HIV vaccine trial related questions. Results: Of the 605 respondents, 156 (26%) had misperception that the researchers infected the volunteers with HIV during the trials, while 58% weren’t sure whether the researchers infected the volunteers with the HIV or not. Awareness about progress in HIV vaccine development (adjusted risk ratio (RR)=1.50; 95% CI=1.11 – 2.04), participation in an HIV vaccine sensitization meeting (adjusted RR=1.50; 95% CI=1.14-1.97) and advanced secondary education (adjusted RR=1.92; 95% CI=1.19 – 3.09) were associated with an increased likelihood of having the misperception that researchers infected the volunteers. Nevertheless, the majority (94.5%) of respondents showed a willingness to know more about ongoing HIV vaccine studies while about 44.3% had reservations of taking part in HIV vaccine trials due to fear of getting HIV from the vaccine. Conclusions: The misperception that researchers infected volunteers with HIV in Phase I/II trial is significant and was associated with respondents’ awareness about HIV vaccine development, participation in sensitization meetings and advanced education. Partial knowledge about HIV vaccine trials was of note. Future HIV vaccine trials should strive to address the knowledge gap.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccine Perceptions in the Initial Phases of US Vaccine Roll-out: An Observational Study on Reddit

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Navin Kumar ◽  
Isabel Corpus ◽  
Meher Hans ◽  
Nikhil Harle ◽  
Nan Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Trial ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Online Forums ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Vaccine Trials ◽  
Vaccine Information ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Early Phases ◽  
Roll Out

Abstract Background: Open online forums like Reddit provide an opportunity to quantitatively examine COVID-19 vaccine perceptions early in the vaccine timeline. We examine COVID-19 misinformation on Reddit following vaccine scientific announcements, in the initial phases of the vaccine timeline. Methods: We collected all posts on Reddit from January 1 2020 - December 14 2020 (n=266,840) that contained both COVID-19 and vaccine-related keywords. We used topic modeling to understand changes in word prevalence within topics after the release of vaccine trial data. Social network analysis was also conducted to determine the relationship between Reddit communities (subreddits) that shared COVID-19 vaccine posts, and the movement of posts between subreddits. Results: There was an association between a Pfizer press release reporting 90\% efficacy and increased discussion on vaccine misinformation. We observed an association between Johnson and Johnson temporarily halting its vaccine trials and reduced misinformation. We found that information skeptical of vaccination was first posted in a subreddit (r/Coronavirus) which favored accurate information and then reposted in subreddits associated with antivaccine beliefs and conspiracy theories (e.g. conspiracy, NoNewNormal). Conclusions: Our findings can inform the development of interventions where individuals determine the accuracy of vaccine information, and communications campaigns to improve COVID-19 vaccine perceptions, early in the vaccine timeline. Such efforts can increase individual- and population-level awareness of accurate and scientifically sound information regarding vaccines and thereby improve attitudes about vaccines, especially in the early phases of vaccine roll-out. Further research is needed to understand how social media can contribute to COVID-19 vaccination services.

scholarly journals Willingness to participate in COVID-19 vaccine trials; a survey among a population of healthcare workers in Uganda

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0251992
Author(s):  
Jonathan Kitonsa ◽  
Onesmus Kamacooko ◽  
Ubaldo Mushabe Bahemuka ◽  
Freddie Kibengo ◽  
Ayoub Kakande ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Adverse Reactions ◽  
Vaccine Trial ◽  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
Link Function ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Motivating Factors ◽  
Questionnaire Data ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Vaccine Trials

Background Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 and may therefore be a suitable population for COVID-19 vaccine trials. We conducted a survey to evaluate willingness-to-participate in COVID-19 vaccine trials in a population of HCWs at three hospitals in Uganda. Methods The survey was conducted between September and November 2020. Using a standardised questionnaire, data were collected on socio-demographics, previous participation in health research, COVID-19 information sources, underlying health conditions, and willingness-to-participate in COVID-19 vaccine trials. Data were analysed descriptively and a binomial generalised linear model with a log link function used to investigate factors associated with unwillingness to participate. Results 657 HCWs (female, 63%) were enrolled with a mean age of 33 years (Standard Deviation, 10). Overall willingness-to-participate was 70.2%. Key motivating factors for participation were: hope of being protected against COVID-19 (81.1%), altruism (73.3%), and the opportunity to get health care (26.0%). Selected hypothetical trial attributes reduced willingness-to-participate as follows: weekly-quarterly study visits over a 12-month period (70.2%-63.2%, P = 0.026); provision of approximately 50ml of blood at each study visit (70.2%-63.2%, P = 0.026); risk of mild-moderate local adverse reactions (70.2%-60.3%, P<0.001); chance of receiving candidate vaccine or placebo (70.2%-56.9%, P<0.001); and delay of pregnancy [Overall, 70.2%-57.1% P<0.001); Female, 62.8%-48.4% (P = 0.002); Male, 82.5%-71.5% (P = 0.003)]. Collectively, these attributes reduced willingness-to-participate from [70.2%-42.2% (P<0.001) overall; 82.5%-58.1% (P<0.001) in men; 62.8%-32.6% (P<0.001) in women]. Among individuals that were unwilling to participate, the commonest barriers were concerns over vaccine safety (54.6%) and fear of catching SARS-CoV-2 (31.6%). Unwillingness to participate was associated with being female (aRR 1.97, CI 1.46–2.67, P<0.001) and having university or other higher-level education (aRR 1.52, CI 1.05–2.2, P = 0.026). Conclusions Willingness-to-participate in COVID-19 vaccine trials among HCWs in Uganda is high but may be affected by vaccine trial requirements and concerns about the safety of candidate vaccines.

Communications and Politics

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Sharfstein
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Political Judgment ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Centers For Disease Control

An effective communications approach starts with a basic dictum set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Be first, be right, be credible.” Agencies must establish themselves as vital sources of accurate information to maintain the public’s trust. At the same time, public health officials must recognize that communications play out in the context of ideological debates, electoral rivalries, and other political considerations. During a public health crisis, this means that health officials often need to constructively engage political leaders in communications and management. Navigating these waters in the middle of a crisis can be treacherous. Figuring out the best way to engage elected leaders is a core aspect of political judgment.

scholarly journals Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Strategies and Nucleoside Analogues

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 667
Author(s):  
Robert J. Geraghty ◽  
Matthew T. Aliota ◽  
Laurent F. Bonnac
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Mechanisms Of Action ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Nucleoside Analogues ◽  
The Family ◽  
Antiviral Nucleoside

The emergence or re-emergence of viruses with epidemic and/or pandemic potential, such as Ebola, Zika, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 1 and 2 (SARS and SARS-CoV-2) viruses, or new strains of influenza represents significant human health threats due to the absence of available treatments. Vaccines represent a key answer to control these viruses. However, in the case of a public health emergency, vaccine development, safety, and partial efficacy concerns may hinder their prompt deployment. Thus, developing broad-spectrum antiviral molecules for a fast response is essential to face an outbreak crisis as well as for bioweapon countermeasures. So far, broad-spectrum antivirals include two main categories: the family of drugs targeting the host-cell machinery essential for virus infection and replication, and the family of drugs directly targeting viruses. Among the molecules directly targeting viruses, nucleoside analogues form an essential class of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. In this review, we will discuss the interest for broad-spectrum antiviral strategies and their limitations, with an emphasis on virus-targeted, broad-spectrum, antiviral nucleoside analogues and their mechanisms of action.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document